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My first name is Cynthia, last name Redmon; I was born at St. Joseph’s Hospital, that’s on Lakeshore, Toronto, Ontario.

Being Canadian denotes an unspoken and even taken for granted freedom, the kind of freedom every human and sentient being should have the right to exist in. However as we know, that is not the case in many countries throughout the world. Canada, to me, represents diversity. Opportunities abound if you care to explore the many choices that this country allows for; flexibility for self-expression and differences. Canada is a country where, to me, people from all over the globe live freely among each other, completely different cultural backgrounds living side by side in the same neighbourhoods, within the same community, in peace, acceptance of one another and respect for us and others. So, Canada, you know, it’s a vast, mass, land mass; it’s a huge country. And as we know the second-largest country in the world. We have space. After all, ours is a much smaller population, mostly residing in cities and towns situated along the United States border…. To withstand harassment from strangers or even killed simply for the difference in the colour of your skin; or, if known to others, being discriminated against for having a drop of Black blood, so to speak. That’s what it means to me.